𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐁𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐑𝐄 | ✎

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟓

I give her a sideways glance, my eyebrow still raised. I don't want to engage in her games, so I don't even bother answering. I push past her, hoping she doesn't trail after me. Luckily, she doesn't.

Eventually, I make my way inside my sleeping quarters—in the western wing of the palace—and close the door behind me. As an extra measure of caution, I also lock it in case Ava gets any ideas. The sad truth is that most royals don't care about morals, and you can never be too careful.

My bedroom is certainly luxurious for a bodyguard, but it's not fancy like the royal bedrooms or the guest rooms. There's one singular bed in the middle—a king size. The floors are marble, just like the rest of the palace, but the decorations are ordinary and basic. The entire room has a dark blue theme, and that's it.

My bathroom, on the other hand, looks more fitting for a royal. The bathroom is adorned with elegant and luxurious marble tiles and gold-plated fixtures and fittings. There's a spacious shower, a soaking tub, and a separate bidet. A large vanity area with built-in mirrors and countertops is here as well, providing a storage space for toiletries and my personal items.

The sweatpants and shirt I'm wearing drop to the floor as I strip down and step into the shower. After twisting the lever, the water turns hot and falls onto my aching body. My back presses back against the cool tile wall, and my eyes are closed to try and calm my temper down.

I can still feel Princess Ava's eyes on me, judging my every move. But I try not to let it bother me. The stream of hot water feels so good against my muscles, which had been tense from training.

As I wash myself, I can't help but think about what happened earlier. Princess Ava's comment about my scars had brought back some painful memories. I hadn't wanted to think about what happened to my mother and why I'm the way I am, but it was almost impossible not to.

I had always been strong-willed, but it was like a switch flipped in my head after my mother died. I felt like I had a responsibility to protect myself and those around me, and that meant getting stronger than ever. I started training harder than I had before, pushing myself beyond what I could handle.

"Those scars on your back—where are they from?"

Ava's annoying voice echoes through my mind, and I tense up. I remember when they were fresh, and they felt like fire in the shower. My hands start to tremble, and I quickly place my arms on either side of the shower to keep me from collapsing.

Happy thoughts.

That's the only thing that can take away from my pain. Thinking happy thoughts—even though there isn't much to think about. But I close my eyes anyway and hear another voice. A pleasant one that I long to hear all the time.

Elena's.

₊˚ʚ ᗢ₊ ˚✧ ﾟ.

After several hours of exercising early in the morning—5 AM, to be exact—I'm clean and in a suit. My hair is combed neatly, leaving one stray strand of hair in the front. My suit smells fresh out of the laundry, and combined with my Bleu de Chanel cologne, I feel fresh.

When Princess Elena is done getting ready, I follow her to the courtyard, where her fencing lessons are taking place today. But since her instructor isn't here, I'll have to be the one to fence with her. Again.

The last time we fenced, she won. And she also doesn't like to use helmets or points. Not only is that a recipe for disaster, but with everything happening between us recently, I highly doubt she'll play nice.